Record-breaking rain and snow fell across Michigan in April, causing rivers and lakes to flood, particularly across northern Michigan where several dams failed or were threatened.
Some Michigan cities recorded nearly a foot of precipitation, and cities mostly in the northern Lower Peninsula set new records, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Online Weather Data.
Gaylord, Kalkaska, East Tawas, Mio, Flint East Jordan, Traverse City, Houghton Lake, Gladwin, West Branch, Petoskey, Three Rivers and Charlevoix all were among cities across Michigan that broke records. Kalkaska recorded 10.01 inches and Lake City had 11.53 inches, but did not set a record.
“April 2026 will go down in the history books as the wettest on record at several sites in northern lower Michigan… some by very large margins. The result was widespread historic flooding when paired with a deep snowpack meltoff. Lesser rainfall was observed in the eastern Yoop,” Gaylord National Weather Service said on social media on May 1.
The Gaylord NWS office said a stalled cold front led to repeated rounds of rain April 14-15. Some areas reported nearly 3 inches.
The combined rain and rapid snowmelt from above-average temperatures led to dams failing or near failure, including the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex, Bellaire Dam, Mio Dam and others. The high water levels on lakes and rivers also flooded yards and houses. Several areas had to be evacuated.
Most of the flood warnings issued through April have expired, however Cheboygan and Emmet counties in the northern L.P. remain under a flood warning as of May 5.
“Roads and structures near lakes and rivers will continue to see high water levels with slow improvement expected into next week,” NWS said on May 5.
Here’s how much precipitation fell across selected cites in April.
How much precipitation fell in Michigan in April 2026?
According to the NOAA Online Weather Data, here are April precipitation totals for selected Michigan cities:
Detroit
Flint
Saginaw
Lansing
Grand Rapids
Battle Creek
Coldwater
Three Rivers
Muskegon
Gaylord
East Tawas
Kalkaska
Houghton Lake
Traverse City
Gladwin
Charlevoix
Alpena
Marquette
Sault Ste. Marie
Petoskey
West Branch
Lake City
East Jordan
Mio
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: At least a dozen cities set rainfall marks in April. How much fell
Reporting by Sarah Moore, USA TODAY NETWORK / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
